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Meet Shey Khandro

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Shey Khandro.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
As long as I can remember, I have been compelled to create. My heart dances with the play of color, my imagination captured by light and shadow, texture and design. The subtleties of our sensual world inspire me. I am an artist. It has been a process of surrender.

I was interested in art as a child, yet it was not until the age of 30, my own artistic inclinations took on a significant role in my life. This coincided with my formal entry onto the profound spiritual path of Tibetan Buddhism. From 1990 to 2005, I studied and practiced as a Buddhist nun in the Tibetan tradition. Blessed to receive formal training with Tibetan masters in exile here in the United States, the study of the sacred and in particular sacred art became a major focus in my life. My career as an artist began at the same time I began to seek a deeper understanding of the world around me.

During my study as a nun, I had the opportunity to serve a role in the creation of many significant sacred art projects, as well as create pieces for private collectors. These projects included images of the Buddha, stupas, traditional temple arts, and altar design. Under the direction of my teachers, working alongside experienced artists, painters, sculptors, carpenters and mold makers; most of my education has been from hands-on experience with direction and redirection, practice and more practice.

It was my opportunity to lead a team of artists in creating the sculptural elements of the Amitabha Stupa that originally brought me to AZ to live. This stupa is the focal point for the Amitabha Stupa & Peace Park in Sedona. A Stupa is a spiritual monument, a sacred structure built with special care and compassionate intention. Built to bring spiritual transformation and healing through its sacred architecture and geometry, a Stupa is said to be the very presence of the enlightened mind.

These years of study and practice deeply inform my art to this present time. The traditional art of Tibet is created for a spiritual purpose. Its true function is to tell a story, to hold an intention, to remind us of our highest potentials as human beings. The images of the Buddha themselves remind us to stay centered in peace, to cultivate compassion, to remember our common humanity and take action for the benefit of all. Whether sculpture or a painting, each piece is created with this purpose in mind, each piece is dedicated to bringing an end to suffering in our world. I cannot imagine a greater purpose with which to align my own presence in this world.

Shortly after I arrived in Sedona, I had the calling to paint. I remember standing in my studio late one night reflecting on who I am as an artist and how I wished to express myself through my art. How will I create in a way to bring lasting benefit? I heard a very clear voice in my mind, “paint big Buddhas and paint them with little tiny dots.” Hmmm, I thought, really?

Years prior, I had been exposed to pointillism in one of three mainstream art classes I had taken early in my exploration of the arts. The dance of color captured my imagination and I fell in love. Individual dabs of paint laid next to each other create a dynamic field of color. The eye mixes these colors to surprising effect. When viewed from a distance, the individual dabs blend creating what appears to be a solid color. When viewed up close, you can clearly see each field of color is comprised of 5-6 different colors.

Each painting is created one dot at a time, each stroke of the brush a clear intersection of time and space. I asked myself, beyond just making a dot, what is my intention for this moment? I began to imbue each dot with a prayer for Peace, an offering, a loving invocation that together we create a more peaceful and compassionate world.

This style of painting has taught me many unexpected things and has inspired much philosophical reflection. Through the painstaking practice of pointillism, I am reminded of the small acts that add up to something greater than the individual parts. A single dot is seemingly insignificant yet together they add up to something surprising and beautiful. This speaks to me of the power each of us has to create change, small acts in an individual life can add up to great change.

In 2005, I retired my robes. I wished to be more in the world, to expand the reach of my art and connect directly with more people. Since then, in addition to living fully into my passion for painting and sculpture, I have been inspired to develop a series of talks and teachings, workshops and meditations focused on mindfulness and what I call “Small Acts of Immeasurable Benefit.” In the fall of 2017, I presented at TedX Sedona. I share stories from my experiences as a nun. I speak about my work as an artist and my process of creation. I share personal practices for staying connected to my own peaceful center.

Today, I create paintings, indoor and outdoor sculpture and have a line of Intentional Jewelry cast locally in sterling and bronze. I travel and teach meditation and mindfulness practices inspiring conversations about the power we each have to contribute to the creation of a more peaceful and compassionate world.

Has it been a smooth road?
Sometimes, life goes smoothly and sometimes there are bumps and challenges. The difficult moments often bring the greatest gifts. “A cause for a pause,” I like to say. These moments can be an opportunity to reflect on what we really want and who we are committed to being.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
As a sculptor, a painter, jewelry designer and speaker, it is my intention to create work to nourish and inspire the hearts and minds of others. To uplift our spirits and remind us of the amazing and loving people we are as we navigate this seemingly crazy world. I have been blessed to see this over and over again in people’s response to what I do. May it always be so.

I have been represented by Goldenstein Gallery in Sedona, AZ 2001. My work is available at the gallery or online through GoldensteinArt.com or SherabKhandro.com. My line of intentional jewelry is also available through InspirationsbyShey on Etsy.

What am I known for?
People often say they feel inspired by what I do as an artist, as a speaker and a writer. I am a voice for Peace, peace in our hearts, ultimately peace in our world.

What am I most proud of?
When I look back on my years as an artist, I am most proud of the ability of my work to touch the hearts of others. My work brings a message of Peace, inspiring others to live from the heart.

What sets me apart from others?
The most distinctive things about my work are:
The sacred & spiritual intention woven into every aspect of what I do. It is work with a purpose; it reaches past the intellect and into the heart empowering each of us to bring forth our best qualities to help create a safe and loving world for all. Also of distinction is my use of pointillism, a highly detailed painting technique, it is very time consuming and therefore not practiced by many artists. Many also find it inspiring that I work across a wide range of media.

Over time, I have been struck by the fact my collectors span generations. My youngest collector was three at the time she collected her piece. Young collectors, people in mid-life and those in their later years all collect my work. The demographic is broad, people across the country and around the world.

Proudest moment of my career:
The proudest moment of my career so far is the one I am in right now. I am alive and well and grateful for it. This moment is filled with the gifts of what has gone before and the potential of what is yet to be. May it all be of benefit.

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